A new, larger Household Recycling Centre (HRC) will be built at Milton following approval to go ahead by the council’s Environment and Green Investment committee yesterday (Thursday 28 November.)
The modern, split-level facility will be built on the site of the existing centre, and adjacent land, at Butt Lane, Milton, and will include a purpose-built re-use area and more parking for cars and bikes. It will cover a larger area than the current facility and at the heart of its design is easier, more accessible recycling for residents.
Work is expected to start on the new facility in autumn 2025 and will take around nine months. This will include the demolition of the existing centre, so while work takes place the site will be temporarily closed and residents directed to their closest alternative sites at Thriplow, Witchford and Bluntisham.
Councillor Lorna Dupre, chair of the Environment and Green Investment committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, explains more about the much-needed new facility: “The planning permission for the current Milton HRC is linked to the operations of the landfill site next door. With the life of the landfill site coming to an end, we needed to decouple the two permissions and took the opportunity to develop plans for a new, larger and more modern facility that will help residents continue to recycle safely and easily.
“The current Milton HRC is the busiest in the county so it’s vital that we retain a site at that location and futureproof it to serve the growing population, as we work towards our vision of a greener, fairer and more caring Cambridgeshire.
“However, the fact that it is the busiest site also means that we need to direct residents to the Thriplow, Witchford and Bluntisham sites during the temporary closure. To help us manage demand and tonnages at those sites, we’ll be introducing a temporary booking system while Milton HRC is closed. This will help ensure residents are able to access facilities to recycle and re-use when they need to.”
The online booking system will be introduced for the duration of work being carried out at Milton HRC, for the Thriplow, Witchford and Bluntisham sites only. Implementing the booking system will help to reduce queues and waiting times, and aim to ensure residents can visit the three sites at a time convenient to them.
The papers can be viewed on our website at Council and committee meetings - Cambridgeshire County Council > Meetings Calendar and the meeting was live streamed on our YouTube channel (Environment & Green Investment Committee - 28 November 2024).
